Reports
Trends in biological drugs in Canada
Information recently released in May 2020 by the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) provides new detail on the Canadian biologicals market for 2018, including trends and international comparisons in sales, pricing and biosimilar uptake.
Approval and launch dates for US biosimilars
To date (19 June 2020), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved 27 biosimilars, plus four follow-on biologicals [1]. The pipeline for biosimilars continues to grow, however, of the 27 biosimilars approved, only 17 have so far been launched [2].
Barriers to biosimilars access in the US
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved 26 biosimilars [1], yet only two are available on the market. A recent exploration [2] of this issue highlights the major obstacles to biosimilar access in the US.
GBMA publishes quarterly review of biosimilar literature
The Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (GBMA), which is the representative body of generic and biosimilar medicine suppliers in Australia, has released its quarterly review of biosimilar literature [1].
Biosimilars could have saved US companies US$1.4 billion in 2018
Increasing the use of biosimilar could have saved self-insured companies in the US up to US$1.4 billion on just two biologicals – infliximab and filgrastim – during 2018.
Market for copy biologicals in ASEAN and China expected to grow
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China market for copy biologicals was valued at US687.6 million in 2017 and is expected to reach US$5.5 billion by 2025 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29.7%, according to a new report by Allied Market Research.
Use of biosimilars for chronic inflammatory diseases in Canada
The high cost of originator biologicals in Canada has created a demand for biosimilars as a way of reining in costs for Canadian public healthcare payers. However, although several biosimilars are now commercially available in the country for a variety of conditions [1]; it has been suggested that the uptake of biosimilars in Canada remains low [2].
Advantages and challenges of biosimilars approved in Europe and the US
Each biosimilar has its own unique challenges on the market. At the 2019 Generic + Biosimilar Medicines Conference, Dr Amy Gutierrez, Chief Pharmacy Officer of not-for-profit healthcare plan Kaiser Permanente outlined these factors for four blockbuster drugs: bevacizumab, filgrastim, rituximab and trastuzumab [1].
Proposed policies to maximize societal benefit of biosimilars
During the European Commission’s (EC) fifth workshop on biosimilars, which was held in Brussels, Belgium on 30 October 2019, the subject of what policies might maximize the benefit of biosimilars to societies across Europe was discussed [1].
Optimizing the benefits of biosimilars for society
How to optimize the benefits of biosimilars for society was a topic discussed during the European Commission’s (EC) fifth workshop on biosimilars, which was held in Brussels, Belgium on 30 October 2019 [1].
